Ron Zook has been coaching football for more than 30 years, including a stint as the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator from 2000 to 2001, and assistant coaching jobs with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs before he became a college head coach at Florida and Illinois.

Darron Cummings/The Associated Press archiveMartez Wilson could fill the most glaring need on the New Orleans Saints' roster, strongside linebacker, where they suffered a dropoff last season after veteran Scott Fujita left in free agency.

But the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder showed flashes of what kind of player he can be last season, coming back from the neck injury with an outstanding redshirt junior season. Wilson led the Illini with 112 tackles, four sacks and three forced fumbles. Then he ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.49 seconds) of any linebacker at the scouting combine.

"The first thing about Martez, all his football is in front of him," said Zook, who said Wilson would have been a much higher draft pick if he had played in 2009 or stayed for an extra season in 2011. "He's a very, very talented young man. A great person. And he has a chance to grow into a great football player. He played really only two years and was just coming into his own.

"Football's a reaction game. The more he can not think and just react, (the better he'll be). He can run. He's a tough guy. He can play physical. At times it looked like he didn't last year, but I know he can do it. He's going to work hard. He's a great kid and a hard worker. I love him to death."

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton on linebacker Martez Wilson: videoNew Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton talks about third-round pick Martez Wilson out of Illinois, a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder who had an outstanding 2010 season at Illinois, tallying 112 tackles, four sacks, 11 1/2 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, an interception and a blocked punt. He remains a raw prospect, though, because he missed the entire 2009 season with a herniated disk in his neck, then left school a year early.

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton on linebacker Martez Wilson: videoNew Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton talks about third-round pick Martez Wilson out of Illinois, a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder who had an outstanding 2010 season at Illinois, tallying 112 tackles, four sacks, 11 1/2 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, an interception and a blocked punt. He remains a raw prospect, though, because he missed the entire 2009 season with a herniated disk in his neck, then left school a year early.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said he agreed with Zook's assessment, that Wilson's lack of experience likely made teams hesitant to draft him. And scouting reports by various analysts sent some mixed messages, some suggesting he might go in Round 1, while others warned that he didn't play as fast as his timed speeds.

Wilson, however, disputes the idea that he'll be facing a long learning curve when his rookie year gets under way.

"No. No learning curve at all. That's just what spectators think," Wilson said. "Me knowing what I know and my ability and how well I study the game and how much I really put into it, I know I'm capable of playing all three linebacker positions. And I will be a good one."

Wilson does admit that he will need to learn how to cover tight ends as a strongside linebacker. But he already has been learning some of those techniques from veteran teammates Jonathan Vilma, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Danny Clark and Jonathan Casillas the past two weeks during the Saints' player workouts at Tulane.

"Just seeing (Vilma) work out is a good thing," Wilson said. "I mean, he's an animal. And I just let him know that I'm an animal, too, and I'm just coming in trying to learn as fast as possible and get my respect around here."

Vilma said he has been impressed by what he has seen from the athletic and eager rookie.

"I like his work ethic," Vilma said. "He's very athletic. You look at him right now, (6-4), 250, can run like the wind. And I love that on a young guy that's hungry, comes in, just wants to work. And that's what we're about. We don't seek the spotlight. We want guys who come in, work hard and show up on the football field."

"Martez was one of the favorite guys in the facility, because if you look at him, he's an absolute freak. But he's really just a really good guy. Real humble. Worked hard. A guy you're drawn to," Miller said. "And he's a phenomenal athlete. Got on the field, in the weight room, and showed he was just on a different level."

Miller said he believes Wilson will be able to turn that raw potential into success with the Saints because "he's a smart guy who understands football" and because he's willing to put in the work and study time.

Expectations have always been through the roof for Wilson, who was even more hyped coming out of high school.

Although he was overshadowed by basketball star classmate Derrick Rose at Chicago Simeon Academy, Wilson was a star in his own right. He was a Parade and USA Today All-American, and ESPN/Scouts Inc. rated him as the No. 5 prospect in the nation in 2007.

Wilson only added to that hype with an impressive freshman season, when he tallied 29 tackles and two sacks to help lead the Illini to a rare Rose Bowl appearance. But then the road took a few unexpected turns.

Wilson struggled in 2008 with inconsistency. After the season, he was stabbed in the lung outside of a campus bar while trying to help a former teammate who was being beaten.

By all accounts, Wilson was doing the right thing that night, and there were no concerns about his behavior or character. But he spent the next three to four months recovering from surgery after the incident.

He seemed to be coming back strong later that summer and appeared primed for a successful junior season, but then he suffered the herniated disc in his neck in the 2009 season opener against Missouri. Though he finished the game, he didn't play again once doctors determined he needed surgery.

Wilson admitted it was scary not knowing what the surgery might mean for his football future. But once doctors assured him he would recover and have a chance to play again, "it was all systems go."

Despite all those setbacks, Wilson said his confidence never wavered.

"I was just hoping that after that last incident happened with my neck injury, I was just thinking, 'Keep fighting strong. Don't give up,'" Wilson said. "You know, 'I put in all that hard work, and I'm real close.' So I just kept going."

Wilson finally had the season that he and everyone else had been waiting for, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.

"Oh man, it was great," Wilson said. "This last season opened up not only a lot of scouts' eyes, but a lot of people, fans. It brought a lot of hope to not just me and my family but everyone. And people continued to believe in me. And I'm thankful for that."

Wilson probably could have been even better as a fifth-year senior, and he almost certainly would have improved his draft stock. But he said he felt like he had grown up and matured and learned enough during his four years at Illinois.

And most important, he earned his degree in sports management. Last Saturday, Wilson became the first member of his family to graduate from college.

"Graduation was almost just the same exact feeling (as the draft), just to be the first in my family to do it," Wilson said. "It's an honor. I'm starting my own legacy."

Based on his potential, Wilson has the chance to do the same thing in New Orleans.